Hasidism: Modern Jewish Mysticism and Spirituality

Have you ever wondered what the appeal of Hasidism is? It may appear to us today as ultra-Orthodox fundamentalism, but when it first appeared in the 18th century, the followers of Hasidism were considered rogues, renegades, and rebels by their Orthodox contemporaries.

In this course, we will explore Hasidism as a revolutionary Jewish revival movement that transformed Eastern-European Jewry. We will explore the spiritual teachings of early Hasidism and their contemporary implications, including pantheism, mystical union, ecstatic prayer, self-transcendence, worshiping God through sin and the role of the Hasidic wonder-rabbi. We will look at Hasidic literature in translation, including the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, Nachman of Bratzlav, Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidism and Martin Buber, and consider how these teachers made mysticism attractive in our modern world.

Class runs for 10 sessions on Wednesdays from March 7 to June from 7-9:30 p.m. Taught by David Ariel, Ph.D.